Pomona Unified to make decision on parcel tax ballot measure

(Published Saturday, July 31, 2010)

Whether to place a parcel tax measure on the November ballot will be the main item on the agenda of Thursday's (Aug. 5) meeting of the Pomona Unified School District Board of Education.

The board will meet in open session at 7:30 p.m. in the board room of the district's headquarters, 800 S. Garey Ave.

Board members will hold a public hearing before voting on the matter.

The school district administrator are proposing asking school district voters for a parcel tax that would generate about $4 million annually for four years.

The money raised through the tax would be used to pay for academic programs, counseling, library and health, services as well as athletics and visual and performing arts programs and the teachers who offer them.

To pass, the measure would have to receive a two-thirds majority.

The measure would contain provisions for an oversight committee.

Members of Associated Pomona Teachers have proposed adding wording to that language that would appear on the ballot stating money raised through the tax will not go to paying administrators or consultants.

It approved, property owners would pay $98 per parcel annually for four years.

Multi-family residential properties with two to four units would pay $196 a year, according to district information.

Multi-family residential properties with five or more units would pay $490 a year.

A parcel tax is levied on any property in the district assessed by the Los Angeles County tax collector.

School board members were expected to make a decision on the matter at their July 15 meeting, but the matter was pulled off that agenda when a district lawyer determined the public hearing connected to the proposal was not properly noticed.